Bandung Conference, voice of weak countries [Archives:2004/729/Opinion]

By Mohsen Al-Emad
For the Yemen Times
In April, 1955, twenty-nine nations met in Bandung, a city in Indonesia. These twenty-nine nations represented more than half the people of the world. The conference was a historic one. Why?
For the first time, people from many different countries met to discuss together problems that were of importance to the world. This conference was a symbol of the rise (not rice) of the countries of Asia, Africa, Saudi Arabia, and Latin America. It showed that they wanted PEACE and were trying to work for it and they made the following decisions:
1-All countries should help each other to raise their standard of living and make full use of their raw materials.
2- All people should have equal rights, whether they are black, white or yellow.
3-All people should fight for freedom, independence, human rights, friendship, peaceful solutions and a happy future.
4- All should fight against aggression, the arms-race and (neo-)colonial exploitation.
5-All countries should have the right to become independent according to the CHARTER of the United Nations, which is the one place where they can discuss all their problems.
6-Imperialism is an evil that should be ended and countries must be help each other to get rid of foreign control.
The members of the Bandoug Conference believe that all races and nations are equal and the strong countries should respect the freedom of the other countries.
To respect another country means not to interfere in its domestic affairs, and not to dictate to it. Every country has the right to depend on itself, either alone, or with the help of a friendly country, and this is one of the principles of the United Nations. But although a country has the right to depend on itself, it does not have the right to another country. All disputes and problems between nations should be solved by peaceful means, not through WAR and force.
The Bandung Conference represented the voiceless masses of the world, and gave small and weak countries a chance to speak about themselves. They not ignorant, and they can rule themselves.
Now America and some of the countries of Europe are the only ones that have a voice in the affairs of the world. Yes, the new alliance who decided that they should have a voice, and their voice should be heard above all, even above their own people.
Many thanks to all civilized nations around the world who condemned the war in Iraq. Really, these nations remembered us. What happened in London itself, 30,000 British people gathered in Trafalgar Square, shouting “Law not war, Eden”?
That was after one year from Bandung Conference.
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